The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, presents a demanding workload that scales significantly with both resolution and graphical presets. Based on the measured data for the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT combination, this system shows a clear performance profile across the three tested resolutions and four quality settings. The data indicates a pairing that is well-balanced at lower resolutions but becomes GPU-limited as the pixel count and visual fidelity increase, making settings selection critical for maintaining a smooth experience.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS rows reveal that the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution. At 1920x1080, the combination delivers excellent performance across the board, with the Low preset achieving an average of 142 FPS and the High preset reaching 93 FPS. The Medium preset, with an average of 109 FPS and a minimum of 93 FPS, offers a strong balance, but the High preset at 93 FPS is the sweet spot for a visually richer experience without substantial compromise. The Ultra preset at 73 FPS is still very playable and is the best choice for users prioritizing visual quality over raw frame rate at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance curve shifts downward, and the choice becomes more critical. The Low preset averages 93 FPS, while High drops to 61 FPS. The Medium preset, averaging 71 FPS with a minimum of 61 FPS, is the recommended setting here, as it maintains a comfortable frame rate above the 60 FPS threshold while offering a significant visual upgrade over Low. The High preset at 61 FPS is viable for those who can tolerate occasional dips to that mark, but Medium provides a more consistent experience. The Ultra preset at 48 FPS falls below the ideal threshold for fast-paced action, making it less recommended for this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the system is heavily challenged. The data shows that only the Low preset, with an average of 51 FPS, provides a consistently playable frame rate. The Medium preset drops to 39 FPS, and High falls to 33 FPS, both of which are below the standard for smooth gameplay. The Ultra preset is effectively unplayable at 26 FPS. Therefore, the best experience at 4K is achieved with the Low preset, which is the only setting that yields an average above 50 FPS. For users with a 4K display, prioritizing frame rate will necessitate a significant reduction in visual quality, while those who accept sub-40 FPS averages can explore the Medium and High presets.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT is the primary driver of frame rates in The Technomancer, particularly at higher resolutions and settings. The GPU's specifications, including its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus providing 256.0 GB/s of bandwidth, are directly reflected in the measured performance. The 2048 shading units and 64 ROPs, running at a boost clock of 2589 MHz, handle the game's rendering tasks, but the data shows a clear ceiling. The GPU's benchmark scores, such as a Passmark G3D score of 16461 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1804, place it in the 70th percentile of all GPUs, indicating a solid mid-range performer.

The VRAM capacity of 8 GB appears sufficient for the tested settings, as no outliers or severe performance collapses suggest memory swapping. However, the GPU's raw compute power is the limiting factor at higher presets. The transition from Low to Ultra at 3840x2160 sees the average FPS drop from 51 to 26, a 49% reduction, which is a direct consequence of the GPU's inability to sustain the increased shading and texture work. At 1920x1080, the GPU is less stressed, but the score difference between Low (142 FPS) and Ultra (73 FPS) still shows a 49% performance penalty, demonstrating that even at 1080p, the GPU's capabilities are the primary constraint on visual settings. The GPU's nearest rivals, such as the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1630 (with a 0.7% higher average score) and the Intel Arc A350M (0.8% lower), have very similar synthetic benchmarks, but their real-world performance in this title is not measured, so the RX 6600 XT's specific frame rates stand alone in this dataset.

Resolution Scaling

The data reveals a classic resolution scaling pattern, where frame rates drop significantly as the pixel count increases. At High settings, the average FPS moves from 93 at 1920x1080, to 61 at 2560x1440, and finally to 33 at 3840x2160. This represents a 34% decrease from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 46% decrease from 1440p to 4K. This steep decline indicates that the system is heavily GPU-bound, as the workload increases proportionally with the number of pixels.

The scaling is consistent across all presets. For example, at Medium settings, the average FPS drops from 109 at 1080p, to 71 at 1440p, and 39 at 4K. The Low preset shows the same trend, with 142 FPS at 1080p, 93 at 1440p, and 51 at 4K. The uniformity of these drops suggests that the CPU is not a bottleneck at any resolution; if the CPU were the limiting factor, the frame rates would plateau or drop less dramatically at higher resolutions. Instead, the consistently large percentage decreases point to the GPU being the sole performance limiter. The jump from 1440p to 4K is particularly punishing, with the average FPS roughly halving in most cases, underscoring the immense pixel throughput required by 4K. This data suggests that the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 has ample headroom, and the RX 6600 XT's performance ceiling is reached well before the CPU's capabilities are exhausted.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT combination is ranked 2018 out of 2825 tested combos in The Technomancer. This places it in the lower-middle portion of all tested systems, which is a notable finding given the individual components' specifications. The CPU itself is a strong performer, holding the 90th percentile against all CPUs with an average benchmark score of 48995, while the GPU sits in the 70th percentile. The combo's low rank suggests that the game's workload is particularly punishing for this specific pairing, likely due to the GPU's limitations at higher settings.

The rank of 2018 out of 2825 means that approximately 71% of the tested combos perform better in this game. This is a significant underperformance relative to what the CPU's synthetic scores might suggest. For context, the CPU's nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 (with a 0.5% lower average score) and the Intel Core i5-14600K (0.8% higher), are very close in raw processing power. However, the combo's rank is likely dragged down by the GPU, which, despite having a Passmark G3D score of 16461, is only in the 70th percentile and is outclassed by many other graphics cards in the benchmark database. This indicates that while the CPU is capable, the GPU is not sufficient to boost the combo's standing in this specific game, reinforcing the conclusion that the RX 6600 XT is the bottleneck in this pairing for The Technomancer.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 plays a supporting role in The Technomancer, as its substantial processing power is not fully utilized due to the GPU bottleneck. The CPU features 14 cores and 14 threads, with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz. Its architecture, Arrow Lake-S, with 24 MB of shared L3 cache, provides ample computational resources for the game's logic and AI. The CPU's synthetic benchmarks are strong, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32924 and a single-core score of 4648, placing it in the 90th percentile of all CPUs.

Despite this power, the measured frame rates do not show a CPU limitation. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 142 FPS, which is high, but not exceptionally so, suggesting the GPU is still the limiting factor. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see a ceiling on frame rates across all resolutions. However, the data shows that frame rates scale consistently with resolution, indicating that the GPU's workload is the primary constraint. The CPU's single-threaded performance, with a Passmark single-thread score of 4394, is more than adequate for the game's requirements. The 65W TDP and 3 nm process node also indicate an efficient processor that is unlikely to throttle. In this context, the Core Ultra 5 245 is a capable partner that does not hinder the GPU, but its potential is largely untapped in this title, as the RX 6600 XT's performance ceiling is reached first.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play The Technomancer with this combo?

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 offers the most fluid experience, with all presets averaging above 73 FPS. At 2560x1440, the Medium preset is the best balance with a 71 FPS average, while 3840x2160 is only playable on the Low preset with a 51 FPS average.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this system for this game?

A: The benchmark results indicate the GPU is the primary bottleneck. Frame rates drop significantly as resolution increases, from 142 FPS at 1080p Low to 51 FPS at 4K Low, showing a classic GPU-bound pattern. The CPU's strong synthetic scores and the consistent scaling point to the Radeon RX 6600 XT as the limiting component.

Q: How does the Ultra preset compare to the Low preset at 1440p?

A: The Ultra preset at 2560x1440 averages 48 FPS, while the Low preset averages 93 FPS. This is a 49% reduction in average frame rate when moving from Low to Ultra, showing a substantial performance cost for the highest visual quality settings.

Q: Can this system achieve 60 FPS at 4K?

A: No. The highest average FPS at 3840x2160 is 51 FPS on the Low preset. The Medium, High, and Ultra presets average 39, 33, and 26 FPS respectively, all falling short of the 60 FPS target.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested systems?

A: This combination is ranked 2018 out of 2825 tested combos for The Technomancer. This places it in the lower 29th percentile, meaning most other tested systems perform better in this specific game.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for the Medium preset?

A: The Medium preset has recorded minimum FPS values at all three resolutions. At 1920x1080, the minimum is 93 FPS; at 2560x1440, it is 61 FPS; and at 3840x2160, it is 33 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

This section provides the exact measured frame rates for every tested configuration.

1920x1080

• Low: Average 142 FPS
• Medium: Average 109 FPS, Min 93 FPS, Max 126 FPS
• High: Average 93 FPS
• Ultra: Average 73 FPS

2560x1440

• Low: Average 93 FPS
• Medium: Average 71 FPS, Min 61 FPS, Max 82 FPS
• High: Average 61 FPS
• Ultra: Average 48 FPS

3840x2160

• Low: Average 51 FPS
• Medium: Average 39 FPS, Min 33 FPS, Max 45 FPS
• High: Average 33 FPS
• Ultra: Average 26 FPS

The data shows a clear hierarchy: 1080p is fully playable at all settings, 1440p is playable up to High, and 4K requires Low settings for a playable frame rate. The pattern is consistent, with each resolution step causing a significant drop in performance, and each settings increase also reducing the average FPS. This breakdown confirms the analysis that the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT is the limiting factor, and users must adjust their expectations based on their display resolution.